The urge to garden in early spring is primal. Re-connecting with the earth
is affirming, renewing, promising. Waking up the garden to a new growing
season is about more than soil and seedlings...this rite of spring is a
tonic to the gardener as well.

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early spring garden & yard tasks

•clear drainage ditches
Leaves and debris gather in drainage areas
over the winter. Now is the time to ensure that the spring rains will have
adequate runoff. Spring seedlings do best in soil which drains well. Because vegetative growth is at a low point in early spring, this is the easiest time of year for clearing drainage ditches. And be sure to put the cleared material, usually dead leaves and small branches, into the compost. Spring compost piles are commonly short on carbon-rich materials, and every addition helps.

•repair any bowed sides to raised beds. fix trellises and fencing.Soggy winter soil puts a strain on
raised beds; sometimes a stake will rot and give way. Any bowed or leaning
sides should be fixed now. Dig back the soil behind
the bowed side and drive in new stakes on the inside of the sideboards with a slight inward lean. Push sideboards
up to stakes and fasten well with screws or nails. If you are interested in purchasing a raised bed, we have a comprehensive selection of Raised Garden Beds available in our online store.

Trellises and fencing are also easiest to repair in early spring, with less
growth to work around and fewer roots to disturb. Setting new fenceposts, however, is best done after the spring rains have had a chance to drain through the ground. If the water table is too high, post holes will fill with water as you try to dig.

•weed young spring weeds. mulch bare spots in beds.Any weeds which appear in your garden beds will be easiest to pull now,
as the roots are shallow. Covering bare spots with mulch or ground cover
will minimize the emergence of new weeds. Adding mulch to a depth of 3 to 4 inches is usually
sufficient. Black plastic sheeting can also be used to cover the beds before planting as a way to suppress emerging weeds. And if you flip the sheeting over once a week you may likely find slugs which have been hiding in the bed. This is a simple way to reduce the slug population in garden beds.

When adding mulch to garden beds or around the base of fruit trees,
keep the mulch a few inches away from tree
trunks and the crowns and stems of plants. This will help reduce rot on the stems of young plants and will protect the bark of young fruit trees.

•when it's dry enough, 'top dress' beds.Top dress garden beds with
compost or well-seasoned manure in preparation for planting. Resist the
urge to dig the bed; established beds have a complex soil ecosystem which
is best left undisturbed. Nutrients added from the top will work their way
down into the soil.

In early spring you may find that your compost pile is wet and does not apprea to be actively composting the materias you've been adding through the winter months. If this is the case, read our article How to fix a soggy compost pile.

•early spring is the time for lime.Soils with a pH below 6.2 will benefit from
the addition of lime. Dolomite is the finest grind, and is recommended.
With ground limestoneit will
take twice as long for plants to derive any benefit from it. Ideally, lime
should be added several weeks before planting. Hydrate lime, or "quick
lime", is not recommended, as it can change the soil pH so rapidly
that plants may be damaged. Cover newly limed beds with plastic during heavy
spring rains to prevent runoff. Soil pH can be determined by using a soil pH test kit.

•prepare your lawn for spring.Rake the lawn to remove dead growth and winter debris. This helps bring light and air to the soil level, encouraging the grass to grow. Re-seed bare patches of lawn. Rake bare spots firmly with a metal rake before seeding. Sprinkle grass seed into a bucket of soil and spread evenly over the bare spot. Keep well-watered until seeds germinate and the new grass establishes. Pre-emergent herbicides such as corn gluten may be applied now.

•thin dead foliage of ornamental grasses and ferns. pull vegetable plant skeletons.Once new growth begins. it becomes difficult to thin ornamentals without damaging the plant. New growth will quickly replace the culled foliage. And if you didn't get around to this last fall, pull the old tomato, squash and other plant skeletons to clear the bed for planting. Plant skeletons can be added to the compost if you are sure they do not harbor any plant disease.

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vegetables and flowers

•plant early spring vegetables when soil is workable.Soil
is ready for gardening once it is free of ice crystals and crumbles easily.
Soil that is too wet is easily compacted, reducing beneficial soil aeration.
Common early spring crops are peas, spinach, lettuces and leeks. For a
prolonged harvest, plant several varieties, each with a different maturation
date. Follow
these crops with broccoli, cabbage, radishes, kale, turnips, new potatoes
and onions. Mulch early bulbs if you live
in areas where freezing temperatures hang on.

•protect seedlings from hard frosts.Early spring plantings are vulnerable to
hard frost which can set in overnight. If you expect a hard frost, cover
seedlings overnight with anything you have on hand - an overturned bucket or cardboard box
(with a rock on top) or large flower pot, aportable
garden cloche, or a cold frame. If your garden has the space, and your budget allows, a starter greenhouse is ideal for starting seedlings early in the season and protecting them from inconsistent early spring weather.

•be one step ahead of the cabbage moth.Once
the frosts are gone, the cabbage moth may appear. It lays eggs against
the lower stems of brassica seedlings - cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprout,
kale, cauliflower. Once the eggs hatch, the seedlings lose vigor and often
die. Be prepared to protect these crops from root maggots by covering
plantings with row covers or applying small pieces of barrier
paper around the seedling stem base. Maggots are more of a problem in cool, wet soils.

•plant out daffodils, lilies, crocus, hyacinth and any other bulbs,Early spring is the time to set out bulbs which were forced in pots or bowls in the house.
Some may bloom next spring, others may take two or three years to rebuild
enough food reserve to support flowering.

•divide perennials. clear and mulch perennial beds.For
easier handling try to time the division so emerging shoots are only 2
to 4 inches tall. Prepare new beds for perennial flowersby
spreading a 6-inch deep layer of organic matter (i.e. peat moss, compost,
rotted manure) and work in deeply. Plants growing in deep, rich soil are
less likely to suffer from summer drought. Existing perennial beds can be cleared of old plant debris and mulched to prevent weed growth. Mulch should be applied around, but not over the sprouting root mass of each plant.

Stakes can also be put in the ground now for sprouting perennials such as asparagrus, which may need support for it's tall ferns later in the season in gardens exposed to wind. Be sure to set the stakes well clear of the root mass so as not to disturb emerging shoots.

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shrubs and trees

•prune out dead or damaged branchesPrune unwanted branches of trees and shrubs after new growth has begun. Cut back any remaining dead
perennial foliage from last season. Prune roses just before they start
to bud out. Spring blooming trees and shrubs, however, should not be pruned
in late winter; their flower buds are ready to open as temperatures warm.
Azaleas, forsythia, weigela, dogwood, and other spring shrubs can be pruned.

•prune fruit trees.Fruit tree pruning is best
done in late winter or early spring. Prune well before buds begin to break
into bloom or the tree may be stressed resulting in a reduced crop. Pick up and remove the pruned clippings, especially if you intend to cut the grass under the tree during summer.

•remove stakes or relax wires installed on trees planted last fall.Allowing
a little swaying of tree stems results in sturdy yet resilient plants.
Thin out some branches of trees which have a history of leaf spot diseases.
Pruning will improve air circulation and penetration of sunlight, which
in turn can reduce the incidence of disease. Remove tree guards or burlap
wraps from the trunks of young trees or shrubs. This prevents moisture buildup beneath the wrap, which can encourage rot and promote entry of diseases.

•transplant any existing shrubs you want to move before they begin to leaf out.Soil conditions in early spring are favorable to transplants because the soil is more consistently moist, which helps new rooting to expand from the transplant zone and reach out for more nutrients. To transplant, use a spade to find the edges of the main root mass, then dig down and under to loosen the root ball. Dig the new hole several inches wider all around, and add soil amendments such as compost or organic fertilizer. Once the transplant is set in place, filling in around the sides with lightly compacted soil will promote lateral root growth.

•apply horticultural oil sprays to pear and apple trees.Apply oil spray to pears just as the
buds begin to swell and then again 10 days later to control pear psylla
and pear leaf blister mite. Make a single application of oil on apple
trees when a half-inch of green tissue is visible in developing buds.

•also apply oil to ornamental trees and shrubsApply dormant oil to trees and shrubs which have a history
of aphid, scale or spider mite infestations. Destroying these pests safely
with spring applications of horticultural oil will reduce your need for
pesticides later in the growing season.

•inspect your pole pruner before usingBefore setting foot on the orchard ladder take a few minutes to inspect the head of the pruner and the cord. If there is a failure of any parts while you are pruning, it could send you for a tumble. Read our article Pre-Season Pole Pruner Checklist.

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